


It's Too Darn Hot.

by Esther_Summerson



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Crack, Friends to Lovers, Light Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-20
Updated: 2016-07-20
Packaged: 2018-07-25 15:01:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,935
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7537339
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Esther_Summerson/pseuds/Esther_Summerson
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>You were just trying to cool down, and with your air con on the fritz that left you with just one option. You certainly weren't expecting company to come calling.</p>
            </blockquote>





	It's Too Darn Hot.

"Aargh! Why is it so gorram hot?!" I yelled out to the room at large, pulling my tank top up in an attempt to fan my overheated skin with it.  
"I think perhaps because it's July and the air conditioning is out doll?"  
I practically leapt out of my skin at the gravelly voice coming from my hallway, in my locked apartment, where I had been alone.  
"Buck," I squeaked out, his sudden intrusion stealing my ability to utter words in a tone audible to anyone other than dogs and those with super soldier hearing. "What the hell? You scared the bejesus outta me!"  
"Sorry, but you didn't hear me knocking." He replied from wherever he had positioned himself inside the doorway to my living room. "What are you doing anyway?"  
"Lying on my couch, trying to stay cool." I uttered in a tone which more closely resembled my own voice. My heartbeat sped up, hoping that he couldn't see me from where he was standing. "Can I help you with something Bucky?"  
"Eh yeah," He answered, his voice not shifting from his position by the door. My chances of him not being able to see me over the back of my sofa were increasing, just so long as he didn't move! "Steve and I were wondering if you wanted to come and hang out with us, seeing as our air con is still working and all. We were gonna watch movies."  
I sat up suddenly and peered at him over my sofa cushions. "What do you mean yours is still working? I thought it was out in the whole building?!"  
"Ah no doll, I think it's just yours." I flopped back down against the sofa cushions growling audibly.  
"Friday? Has Tony messed with the air conditioning in my place?" I called out.  
"I'm afraid I'm not at liberty to disclose that information Miss." Was her lilting reply.  
"Goddamn it Tony! I'm gonna kill him!" I yelled, screwing my eyes closed. My previous discomfort forgotten with the knowledge that Tony had gotten his revenge on me in so simple a way as cutting out my air conditioning on a hot day.  
"Why is Tony screwing with you doll?" Bucky asked, his voice full of laughter.  
"Maybe because I replaced Dumm-E's fire extinguisher with a confetti cannon?" Bucky snickered. "And maybe it shoots out confetti in the shape of Steve's shield and little red stars? And maybe I programmed Dumm-E to shoot Tony every time he had a 'eureka' moment?" Bucky full out laughed at this point. "And I may or may not have secured it Dumm-E's arm in such a way that only I can remove it, and there's a lot of confetti in there Buck. A whole lot."  
I sat back up against the arm of the sofa and pulled my bare legs up to my chest as I laughed along with the serum enhanced sniper. Who was currently leaning against my wall sniggering at the image of Iron Man picking confetti out from his hair and all the other little places that it would no doubt find it's way into.  
"Damn, remind me never to piss you off." Bucky replied between gasps for breath.  
"Oh Bucky, I only did it to get him back for all the Frosty the snowman jabs he's been aiming your way recently." I murmured, my head resting on my knees as I looked over at him.  
"Defending my honour huh?" He replied. And in an instant, gone was the laughing Bucky from before and in his place was a man with a smirk on his face and something approaching tenderness in his eyes. He stopped when he reached the back of my couch, as he looked down at me I witnessed the moment his gaze heated as his eyes raked over me from head to toe. In an effort to combat the heat, which had hit me like a wall as soon as I'd walked in through my door, I had immediately stripped down to my tank top and the shortie underwear which I had worn out that morning. It was apparently working for him. "Although right now I'm trying to remember if I have any, fuck doll give a guy some warning."  
"Too hot Bucky, I would have melted if i hadn't taken some layers off." I said, smiling up at him. Bucky blinked and all of a sudden his expression changed.  
"And here I am staring at you like an idiot! Sorry darlin'," He said, backing away towards the door. His confidence vanishing just like that.  
"That's ok Buck," I replied, leaping up from the sofa as I did so. Perhaps not the best idea as it now gave him a full frontal of my legs encased in my black underwear, and my tank top which had enough built in support to not require a bra. I ran up to him before throwing my arms around his neck for a hug, and after a few seconds hesitation (I'm guessing he was trying to figure out where it would be safe for him to put his hands!) he hugged me back.  
"Tell you what, how about I leap in the shower, throw on some actual clothes! and I'll join you and Steve in a couple of minutes?"  
"Sure thing doll, probably a wise move. I'm not entirely sure how I feel about you killing the punk by showing up dressed like that!" He joked, his confidence returning slightly.  
"Aww Bucky, you say the sweetest things." I tightened my grip around his neck before lowering myself down from standing on tip-toe.  
"You aint heard nothing yet," he whispered. "Now that I've seen those legs I could go on for hours."  
"Get out of here James Buchanan Barnes, you trying to sweet talk your way into showering with me? Cos it'll take more than that!" I said, pushing away from him and punching him in the chest.  
"Nah doll, figured I should at least take you to dinner first." he replied smoothly, capturing my hand and leaving it pressed against his chest. I could feel the powerful thud of his heart beneath my palm.  
"James? What?" I managed to stutter out. "Are you being serious?"  
"Yeah, I'm finally asking you out darlin'. So whaddya say?" His gaze was nervous now, as though expecting a gentle rebuff to the question which had taken him months to utter aloud.  
"Are you sure this is something you want James? I mean you're one of my best friends and I don't want to spoil that." I asked gently, stepping in closer.  
"You're my best friend too darlin', but this last couple of months something has changed." His brow furrowed slightly as his brain scrambled to find the words. "I don't know how to explain it. But I care about you so much, and I realised that I don't care about you in the way that a friend should. I think that I've fallen in love with you." He muttered hesitantly before continuing. "I guess it was inevitable really, I mean look at you. You're beautiful, and kind and funny. You're incredible."  
"Oh James," I couldn't speak around the lump in my throat. I raised myself back up on to my toes and pulled him in for a hug whilst I tried to gather myself enough to be able to reply.  
"It's ok darlin, if you don't feel the same way. I get it, I do. I'm not an easy man to be around, never mind care for." He whispered against my cheek as his arms came around me to hold me close.  
Dropping back down so I was back at my usual height, which meant that the top of my head reached his chin I gave him my best glare.  
"Stop it, just stop it do you hear me?" I punctuated each word with a poke in his well muscled chest. "You are a good man James Barnes, and I don't want to hear any different from you!"  
He ruefully rubbed at the spot where I had jabbed my finger into him.  
"I would be delighted to go for dinner with you and do you want me to tell you why?" He took in my fiery expression, and somewhat meekly nodded his head. "Because I care about you too, idiot!"  
He laughed at my outburst, the epithet tagged on to a sentence which was music to his ears. "So I'm an idiot huh?"  
"Damn straight you are." I carried on, my anger at all that the world had done to him fuelling my rant. "I've known you for what six months? And during that time I've watched you put yourself back together. When we first met you were trying so hard to put the pieces of Bucky Barnes back into a puzzle where the end image kept changing on you. And here you stand before me, not only the hottest human being it has ever been my pleasure to snuggle up next to on movie nights (and I am including Nat in that) but the most honourable, sweet, troll of a man who captured my heart when we first met."  
"Is that a yes to dinner then?" Bucky asked, the sweetest of smiles spreading across his gorgeous mouth.  
"That's a yes to everything James," I replied leaning up to kiss his cheek and breathing in the scent that was just so him. I stepped back away from him before I could give in to the impulse of kissing his everything. "Now get out of here so I can shower, I want access to your air conditioning before I officially melt!"  
"You just want me for my Tony proof apartment, that's it isn't it doll?" He asked, backing away whilst sending hungry looks over my scantily clad form.  
"That and your amazing glutes James, I'm a very shallow woman when it comes down to it." I smirked over at him, following him as he turned down my hallway to leave.  
"Ah well, I'll entrap you with refrigerated air before really hooking you in with my charm and personality." He said, smiling down at me with one hand on the doorknob. Taking my hand in his, he raised it to his lips to place a lingering kiss against my knuckles. All the while maintaining eye contact with me. The feel of his lips on my skin, the heat of his gaze as his eyes met and held mine, yep I was a goner. I thought I had it bad before, for James 'Bucky' Barnes the best friend a girl could ask for. And then he let loose with Bucky Barnes, lady killer extraordinaire and I was done for. My breath caught in my throat as I tried to take in enough oxygen to breathe, but someone seemed to have stolen all the air from my hallway (I'm blaming the super soldier sex god, who was currently holding me enthralled with just his hand on mine!).  
"Get going Bucky, or I'm going to forget all the reasons why it'd be wrong to see if we can both fit in my tub." I managed to gasp out. He smirked, he bloody smirked knowing full well the effect that he was having on me.  
"Aye aye doll, see you in 20 minutes?" I managed a nod before turning away and slinking down the hall, leaving Bucky to close the door behind him. And if I swayed my hips a little more than usual, knowing full well that he was still watching, well I mean turnabout's fair play right?

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading, I'd love to hear what you think. xx


End file.
